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Jan. 6-12 Women’s Intercultural Center

Border Awareness Experience University students learn about border issues & culture

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A place where WOMEN learn and work together to develop their SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL, ECONOMIC, and POLITICAL POTENTIAL.

Through my daily readings, I came across a quote that caught my eye: “Kindness in deed is kindness indeed.” Kindness is something that anyone and everyone can do well. With a good heart and a willing hand, YOU can make a difference. YOU probably would like to make a big impact on other people’s lives. However, YOU must never underestimate the importance of the little things YOU do: a pat on the back, a kiss on the cheek, a nod of the head, an enthusiastic high-five. Whenever I think about making a difference, I always recall one of my mentor’s words: “Don’t expect to impact the entire

room, be happy with the one person you touch for you have at least made a difference in that one life. It is not about the numbers it is about truly changing lives.” How can YOU make a difference in someone else’s life? Slow down and look into people’s eyes. Say “I love you,” in language that your child will understand. Visit a neighbor whose grief is fresh. Infuse humor into a life filled with hardship. Call or visit your parents on Sunday afternoon. Give a dinner invitation to a friend who’s lonely after a loss. Speak to a person who sits alone at church. These simple actions poke holes in someone else’s darkness, allowing light to filter in. They have the power to heal wounds, build bridges, lift spirits, encourage and comfort others. Write notes of encouragement to your family or friends today. Share special quotes, poems or verses. The best thing about notes is that there’s no cost involved. You can leave them on pillows or bulletin boards, in lunch boxes or on car windows. Gentle encouragement builds confidence and is much appreciated. Sincerely,

P.S. the best deed YOU can do for us is to support our work by making a one time or monthly donation online at https://womensinterculturalcenter.fasttransact.net/Web/PaymentCodePayment.aspx, through mail at P.O. Box 2411, Anthony, NM 88021 or in person at 303 Lincoln Street, Anthony, NM. Can’t make a donation today? You can support our work through a variety of actions that only take a few minutes of your time and don’t cost you a dime. To find the best option for you read our Simple Ways to Help WInC at: http://www.womensinterculturalcenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&Itemid=65. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

Tony Martinez Chair

Eldelisa Nava Vice –Chair

Petra Devora Treasurer

Joanne Vullo Secretary

MEMBERS Victor Acosta

Grace Jacquez-Chase

303 Lincoln St * Po Box 2411 Anthony, NM 88021

575-882-5556 Fax: 866-285-7245

wintctr@qwestoffice.net www.womensintrculturalcenter.org

Letter From the Executive Director

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At WInC we are grateful for the kindness of our donors. Recent item donations made by Gerardo Rodriguez, Louie Alfaro, the Zumba Class and Roger and Tammy Huerta are instrumental in supporting our work Item donations are used for the Center’s operations, programming or our thrift store were we sell recycled items to support our operations and donate/provide low cost items to the communities we serve. Every item donated is used! Items not placed in the thrift store or recycled in some way by the Center are donated to local individuals to distribute to other people they have identified in need and/or as a venue for them to raise supplemental income for their families through yard sales. We are also extremely grateful to longtime supporters like T.M. Malumphy who donates on a monthly basis. In spite of the added expenses she’s experiencing through her

ongoing battle with cancer and the toll it’s taken on her life she continued on donating to our cause. Her caring nature is reflective of the kindness in deed that Mary Carter, reflected on in this weeks Letter from the Executive Director. Other longtime supporters include Gail Britanik and James W. Ruck who have been faithful donors to the Center for many years. Words cannot express how thankful we are for your support of our work. For it is thanks to all of YOU that we are able to transform lives. From our participants, volunteers and staff we

“THANK YOU!”

Border Awareness: A local’s perspective

I've lived in El Paso, TX all my life, a place that has a seamless boundary in three states (TX, NM & Chihuaha, MX) and two nations (U.S. and Mexico).

In volunteering to be the driver for the Border Awareness Experience, I've learned of the many issues undocumented people have to face. Including the difficult and sometimes impossible process of becoming a resident. As I listened to a Dreamer’s presentation, I thought to myself how petty my problems are as compared to Alejandra. I realized how fortunate I am to have been born a U.S. Citizen and how unappreciative I have been to have such a privilege. Being able to see both sides of the issue was quite an eye opening experience. I personally enjoyed the border patrol tour and visiting the federal immigration court. I learned how border protection works and that the fence was not the solution to stop immigration but rather slow it down and deter families with children from risking their lives when crossing the border. At the courthouse I learned how compassionate attorneys and judges can be towards undocumented immigrants and others who are not. I experienced the human side of the issue by hearing from Dreamers and organizations advocating for immigrant rights. I am amazed at how much I learned from this program about issues I rarely paid attention to which are a major focus in our area. Because of this, I plan to take a more active stance in my community.

Eric Licerio, WInC Volunteer

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A place where WOMEN learn and work together to develop their SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL, ECONOMIC, and POLITICAL POTENTIAL.

Recycled newspaper bags

At WInC we continue our efforts of being green by finding ways to recycle just about everything. This is a recent batch of bags that were made out of old newspapers. We are getting better and better at making bags out of a variety of materials. The bags are utilized in our thrift store and are used to hold gifts for drawings during our special events.

Hello, this is Leilani from Zuma-filmz. I transcribe all of the inter-views we film and I am truly en-joying the ones from my home-town, Anthony, New Mexico. I just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for all you do. Wow! I had no idea that such a place was down the street from me. I had no idea that women in the area were seeking out educa-tion and skills and empowering their lives. To be honest, I have viewed my hometown as one filled with victims. Shame on me! This has been such an eye-opening experience and I have felt a love for my culture and heritage more this year than ever before. Muchas Gracias y Dios Las Bendiga! ~ Leilani

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Thanks to the Women's Intercultural Center's amazing collaboration, we were able to make the Doña Ana Voter Registration Program a huge success. The Women's Intercultural Cen-ter does amazing civic engage-ment work and we were honored to be included in the election season efforts. Gracias! ~ Oriana Sandoval, Executive Director of NM Vote Matters

What others say about us…

If you haven’t registered for the 2013 Spring Semester classes yet, we encourage you to do so now. Take advantage of the array of classes that are being offered. A calendar listing the classes can be picked up from the reception area at the Center or can be accessed online at http://www.womensinterculturalcenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=336:2013-spring-semester-class-schedule&catid=63&Itemid=79. New classes added this semester include: Basic Sign Language, Capoeira Angola, Kids Arts and Crafts and Trim Upholstery. This semester schedule really has something for the entire family. We look forward to having you participate in our classes!

Registrations

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Border Awareness Experience

Students from the College of St. Benedict/St. Johns University participated in our Border Awareness Experience (BAE) Program. The group met with organizations, grassroots leaders, locals, and others who deal with immigration issues on the U.S./Mexican border. They attended an immigration court hearing and presentation at the United States District Court in Las Cruces given by the Honorable Judge Carmen Garza. A visit that one student found to be “truly awesome to have a front seat view of government in action.” The highlight of their visit was the tour given by the Border Patrol. One participant in her evaluation wrote, “I loved the Border Patrol tour that was a really unique experience I couldn't have

gotten at home.” Another participant stated that the tour really changed her mind about Border Patrol. She said, “It was a good reminder that they don't make the law, they just enforce it. That was especially relevant to me as a public policy major.” The group was given the opportunity to understand what living in and near a border city entails. They were hosted by local families from the Anthony community who presented insight on border issues and particularly placed a human face on immigration issues. “This trip definitely opened my eyes!” commented another of the participants. Down time included visits to museums and opportunities to explore the sites of

the border cities of El Paso, TX; Anthony, TX; Anthony, NM, Las Cruces, NM and Old Mesilla, NM. The participants had an incredible time and really enjoyed the food. Many of our participants treated the group to some delicious traditional meals such as tamales and champurrado provided by Rosie, fresh flour gorditas and a special dessert provided by Fabiola; and Omar Burciaga from the Red Rooster Café provided one of his delicious desserts. The tour was guided by our Volunteer Technology Director and BAE Coordinator, Saif Almuhairbi and WInC Volunteer Eric Licerio.

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Trauma Healing Alterna-tives to Violence Project (AVP): The workshop will focus on building a sense of

security & trust, dealing with memories of loss & rebuilding trust. For additional information on the workshop or to register contact Vickie Aldrich at 575-541-9093 or via email at mathstar@zianet.com.

Interested in teaching a class, scheduling a workshop, presentation or training at WInC?

We are always searching for Volunteer Instructors to teach in their areas of expertise. We currently have a special need for a haircutting instructor. For more info, contact Ilse Arrieta, Program Coordinator at 575-882-5556 or via email at iarrieta@qwestoffice.net.

dates to remember For additional information please contact us at 575-882-5556 or the contact number listed next to the event announcement.

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January

February 2013 Chinese New Year Celebration: This Chinese New Year will be the year of the snake, and as per Chinese Mythology wealth, happiness, and longevity are 2013s hallmark. Be part of our

2013 Chinese New Year celebration starting at 12pm. P.S. Wear red & be ready to eat sweets to have a sweet year ahead of you.

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Valentine’s Day Potluck: Join us for our Valentine's Day Potluck at 12 pm. Bring out the kind of food you love to eat to share with the people you love.

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March St. Patrick’s Day Potluck: Lots o' Luck will come your way if you join us for our St. Patrick’s Day Potluck starting at 12pm!

14 Easter Celebration: Come one, come all. Invite your friends and family and neighbors and the stranger who you just met at the grocery store for our Easter

Celebration at 12pm. Bring your favorite dish to add to our celebration. We’ll all share in the special meal and then head outdoors to watch the kids gather up Easter goodies on the Center’s patio.

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April Ready to Run Conference: Event details to be announced soon. For more information on the conference contact Mary Carter at 575-882-5556

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End of Spring Semester Celebration: The Celebration starts at 11am. Time to celebrate YOUR achievement(s)! Bring your favorite dish and join the celebration!

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Child Safety Seat Training: The training will be held at 10:30am by the La Clinica de Familia Healthy Start Program. Par-ticipants will be able to identify the appro-

priate car seat for their children, based on height and weight. We will discuss installation of different type of car seats and the importance of restraining children the correct way. For more info contact Maribel Ochoa at 575-8825706.

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Menudo Fundraiser: From 9am to 12pm students from the University of Phoenix who are interns of the Women’s Intercultural Center will be selling 32oz

cups of menudo for $4 each. Please come out and support us! Help us continue our mission of Educating, Empowering and Engaging women. To place your order call 575-882-5556. Zumba Party: Join the party with Annette Bravo and other Zumba instructors from around the city from 12pm to 3pm. Admission is $5.

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A place where WOMEN learn and work together to develop their SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL, ECONOMIC, and POLITICAL POTENTIAL.

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Women’s Intercultural Center WHERE IT STARTS

303 Lincoln Street / PO Box 2411 Anthony, NM 88021

575-882-5556 www.womensinterculturalcenter.org